Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 6, 1925, Winnipeg, Manitoba Manitoba free press. Winnipeg monday. April 6 1925 Thomas Haliburton a new life reviewed by prof. D. C. Harvey of the University of Manitoba Thomas Chandler halibut ton Sam a study in provincial Tor ism. By v. L. O. Cal stick ph.d., professor in the revision of literal Urc a d language at College. The recent literary movement a Canada though mainly personal or provincial is in part an attempt to discover our literary traditions to interpret contemporary thought and to transmit a Richer body of Litera Ture to posterity. In such a move ment it is inevitable that judge Hall Burton the most outstanding liter Ary figure of our past should receive a. Large share of attention. Hence the selections of Wallace and Baker hence also Logan s volume in the makers of Canadian literature. Rut by far the most pretentious study Haliburton that has yet appeared 19 that of or. Chat tick which for the first time gives an exhaustive study of Haliburton s life and thought in relation to both con temporary and current criticism. Of this volume it May be said without Reserve that it is a creditable work comprehensive and scholarly. On every Page it bears Marks of painstaking research into both Hall Burton s works and critics of Hall Burton. The student who is denied Access to contemporary magazines newspapers and reviews will find Here Liberal excerpts from All the More significant reviewers As Well As Apt quotations from the works them selves placed in their proper set Ting. In this Way he can Check i own views of Haliburton without going beyond his own study. But while All this is True. It is to be feared that or. Chttick has not written an inspiring Book. Its Gen eral effect upon the Reader suggests weariness and is far from satisfying. One feels that if All the facts Are there they Are not the whole truth. One looks in vain for that humorous halibut icon whose works ran into Al most 200 editions and were widely translated. One feels that this student has tolled Anil mailed Over his thesis in a most devoted manner and yet has killed the thing he loves and that brings one to the time honoured dictum that in prob ing the abysmal deeps of per the Facia Are not enough. Nor is it necessary of agree with him that those who Are disposed to reject the corollary must Bopre pared to Challenge the authenticity of my it is possible to reach a different estimate of Haliburton from the facts As or. Chittick pre sents them. The effect of weariness and disillusionment is particularly apparent in the rather apologetic preface and in the antithetical conclusion. To doubt the preface an irishman s preface was written last when or. Chittick was too close to the Trees and it is intended As a. Warning to the Reader that n. Research student is no Mere adolescent hero worshipper. But it actually convinces the Reader that the author was once an unqualified hero worshipper who had suffered disenchantment and while in such a mood had allowed his Book to fee printed. As a matter of fact Haliburton therefore suffers because is critic has forgotten that All other gods on close inspection have feet of Clay or As the late lord Morley suggests we All since the Days of Moses tend to contemplate Only the hinder most parts of our divinities. In describing the political and social origins of Haliburton or. Chittick is particularly Happy As Well As in his presentation of the eco nomic and political history of Nova Scotia. He omits however to link Haliburton with previous writers in Nova Scotia notably John Young or Agricola. In his letters on Agri culture Agricola had made an Elo quent plea on behalf of this Funda mental Industry As the Alpha and Omega of National grandeur and Haliburton had read Agricola s letters and had acted As interim Secretary for the first Agri cultural society organized by lord Dalhousie to implement his ideas until Agricola should lift the cur Tain from his anonymity. It is therefore quite possible to consider that Haliburton was sincere and Dis interested in advocating agricultural proficiency on to part of a class contented to remain experts in one Uno rather than jacks of All trades with a leaning towards politics and too great Reliance upon the favors of government. Or. Chittick criticizes Haliburton severely for ills inconsistency Lack of originality and Lack of restraint. All these defects arise from his temperament and from his use of satire As the vehicle for his ideas. By temperament Haliburton was Given to extremes Only extreme enthusiasm for the land of his birth could compelled him to spend the seven Best years of his youth in go Ina Over its history and producing a work that would one Day become an inspiration to future writers much is Holinshed s chronicles inspired and informed Shakespeare. Only Strong patriotism could have induced him to devote Twenty years of his life to influencing his native prov Ince against its economic and natural inclinations in favor of an Imperial ism that was dead in the Mother country Jand dying in Nova Decotia. As or. Chittick Points out halibut ton in 1824, believed that the destiny of Nova Scotia was absorption in the United states but he fails to emphasize the fact that Haliburton s persistent and consistent aim was to Avert that destiny to awaken Nova Scotland to the wealth of their Nat ural resources to exorcise the evil fascination of the american spirit to urge his countrymen to prefer British institutions and connection and to make the British realize the glue of colonies and their responsibility towards them. This is whole Burden of the clockmaker. This is the significance of that sent ence in the attache if you Don t make englishmen of us the Force of will make of in setting his face Early in life against this uncompromising americanism Haliburton shows his and in never losing sight of his Vlasi in he reveals a fundamental consistency. Both these characteristics in spite of his other defects make him in Iplie of or. Cell Lei a National idol for Schoolboy Wor but the very temperament which led the laughing philosopher to fling himself with such abandon into the fray and to breast the blows of also caused him to choose satire and a weapon. The Choice of this weapon made his task the harder although it gave him a Vicer Circle if readers than he Wouita otherwise Havi achieved. But in keeping dec s wit Sharp Thero give Dange making Mere wit an end in itself wit in a twi edged it wounds both Friend Anci foe and Doss lot necessarily con Vince one s opponents whilst it May of Renato one supporters. , too it Lack of dept i and sincerity and tends to develop a cer Tain callousness to wounded feeling to at puts one in much he same Light As a Public executioner. Further once the weapon has been chosen there is danger of becoming a slave to it. This was surely Hall Burton s conviction when he said i made an accidental hit with the clockmaker when he ceases to speak i shall cease to two entirely distinct halibut in tons each thoroughly inconsistent with the says or. Chilli it seem bound to emerge into clearness As the result of this study As they must from impartial examination of the life Anil works of its but surely Haliburton can be to i planned without recourse to or. I Jekyll and or. Hyde granted a i fundamental consistency in aim a writer of susceptible temperament May be expected to waver As to method in accordance with the course of events. Granted also. Hallburton ii tory inheritance and training it is not surprising that having experimented with Reform and quickly grown disgusted with Spoony he settled Down definitely to a. Defence of the tory Creed that government was an Art that could be acquired Only after much practice and that it should be reserved for a specialised class in both the Mother country and the colonies. This was Haliburton s position from the Advent of the clockmaker to the expiration of the season ticket. He identified the role of the family compact with that of the Duke of Wellington and his Hundred and the role of the he formers with that of the chartists and their five million. He suspected both of republicanism and was particularly severe on Bolh the colonial and the american democracy. But or. Chittick is right in insisting that Haliburton s Patron age would not afford a. Remedy for colonial discontent although he might have pleaded in extenuation of Haliburton s strictures on Ameri can democracy the fact that even americans themselves heirs of Washington and Hamilton rather than of Jefferson in the Middle period Between the War of 1s12 and the civil War when Federal and state rights were in tha balance were inclined to be very suspicious of and Superior to the new Jack Solan democracy. As to Hallburton s originality. It is matter of definition. That he created Sam Slick out of nothing or manufactured his yarns out of whole cloth no one believes. But Sam himself is a unique if composite character and the use which Hall Burton makes of him and his yarns is original. Like All men of Genius to assimilated both his fixed heritage and his plastic environment merely As i stat 1 ins Point for his own creative activity. As an observer he was Alert acute and. Practical. Quain stories quaint mannerisms quaint expressions were All noted and All j appear in or through Sam. In this Way All cannot be found in one consistent character but they undoubtedly in Sam present an impressionistic picture of the English speaking world during Twenty years of change and decay of Advance and Retreat of turmoil and . To have made Windsor Nova Scotia a Vil Lage of 1.500 inhabitants Centre of thought a Tower on the world with Sam Slick at his Post was something both original and Worth of emulation. For canadians at least who Lightheart edly claim to acl As mediators Between England and America it is an interesting commentary upon our pretensions to see what Haliburton with his unusual equipment has done and what he has failed to do. Analysis Haliburton s works in chronological order for his interpretation of them in the Light of contemporary events for his account of their varied reception in Nova. Scotia America and England or. Cell tick deserves nothing but Praise. The same May to said for his discussion of the estrangement Between Howe and Haliburton and his record of Haliburton s life at the bar and on the Bench As Well As in the legislative Assembly and in the Imperial parliament. On one must agree with the author that Haliburton will be read henceforth More by students of history and literature than by such As formerly quoted his Wise saws or laughed at his Numor. This is the Fate of All realism and satire. Hall Burton like Fielding and Motte to to whom he acknowledged his indebted Ness was both a realist and a satirist. Although his Ideal was Vener Able and always placed Side by Side with vulgar reality his contemporaries snarled under his satire and deplored his politics. Those of us who approach him today without parti pros find much that he wrote no longer of interest much that is coarse whilst Sam s dialect is too careless and profuse to permit much of the work to the read As pure 111 erasure. But the serious student who would understand the English speaking world from 1834 to 1854 will find much to and instruct him in Haliburton s works and at the same time will be impressed by his Genius his knowledge of human nature his grasp of the movements of his Day of which he was no Small part. For this As Well As for his humor he should be More widely read and he who reads Haliburton will find or. Chittock s Book an in the Rise of the Commonwealth salutary neglect afo National growth a p while two years later a. T. Gait then in London on the Busi Ness of seeing the . Act passed could not shut his eyes to the fact they want to get rid of Howe who was in London at the same time opposing confederation in a late letter quoted the Elmea As that it hoped that Independence would speedily follow conned As for the views of they received classic expression in the letter written by sir Hinry Tay or of the colonial office to the d of Newcastle after his visit to can Ada in company with the Prince of Wales. As to our american pos wrote sir Henrj i have Long held and often expressed the opinion thai by John w. Dafoe continued from preceding Page they Are a sort of dam Nosa Hore Ditas and when your Grace and the Prince of Wales were employing yourselves so successfully in conciliating the colonists i thought you were drawing closer lies which might belter be sleek Eric if there were any Chance of thei slipping away these references Are selections from a. Record which would nil a. Volume. One final quotation May perhaps be in order. In 1870 who had been British minis Ter at Washington and then ambassador to France wrote word Clar Endon lie wished we were Well and creditably out of the scrape of having North american possessions. To this lord Clarendon replied june 1, 1870 i agree in every word you say about our Possession in North America and wish that they would author and critic it is to be desired that this volume will not be a definitive account of his life and As or. Chittick Hopes but rather a fresh Sterling Point for More penetrating and sympathetic interpretation in order that the Warp and Woof of Canadian literature May not be broken be stimulated and that to treat we not Only valuable Aid but for the Sake of Bolh propose to be Independent and to Annex themselves. We can t throw them off. And it is very desirable we should part As the evidence is conclusive that majority political and official Opin Ion in England years Fol lowing the granting of responsible government regarded the separation of Canada and great Britain As inevitable because of i fixe-1 idea that there was no stopping Point Between the subjection of the colonies to direct control from London and their withdrawal from the British system. Virtually Canada was Given the Choice of submitting to Downing Street control or herself from the British system. If the British Empire is still in it is due to the fact that th3 Canadian people declined to take Ell her course. There was much talk separa Tion but it will be noted thai none of it was done by the suspects whose demand for self government had been regarded As treason thinly disguised it was who had fought self government behalf of provincial or National subjects but the thoughts and passions that unite or separate Mankind. The Romance i of a railway j Hev. Or. R. G. Macbeth of Van Couver a native son of Manitoba descendant of one of the Selkirk settlers who made is Start in author ship with the Book the Selkirk settlers in heal has recently published his seventh Book which tells a Conception of a United tending to Imit the government s Freedom of discussion. On one question of importance there was a clash Between Tho Cana Dian and British governments and Canada s Complete Victory Konsti Tulea a landmark in the growth of self government. Earl Grey Colon Ial Secretary in the government that conceded responsible government made a reservation in the matter of commercial policy. In ills work the colonial policy of lord John rus sell s he observes the common interest of All parts of that extended Empire requires that its commercial trolley should be the same throughout its numerous dependencies. We the Russell an intimate Story of the builders of the . The title is the Romance of the Canadian Pacific Kail or. Macbeth had the advantage As a preparation for the writing of this Book of living in Winnipeg when the first were Laid on Ihn Prairies and of coming Inlo Contact with the officials who had charge of the construction work. Through All the Early years he was on the ground Here and gained an understanding of the development of the Greal under to whom separation appeared at first j inevitable and then desirable when j the application of their theories of colonial government was blocked by the opposition of the colonies. We have Here in its first form the alternative which has so often been which a theory of Empire government put Forward As the sure method of ensuring Unity is accompanied with the warning that its rejection Means the destruction of the Empire. The Canadian statesmen of the time confronted with these challenging alternatives simply ignored them and went on with their work of widening Canadian Privi taking of the various difficulties encountered and the which respond Silty thus Selling were finally solved. The volume does not contain any statistical in formation with reference to the rail Way and seeks Only to give a pen picture of the personalities engaged government came to the conclusion that this change the abandonment by the Imperial government of its Over ruling authority in matters of Trade should not be acquiesced to this attitude no objection was taken at the Lime a common Trade policy for the Empire seemed inevitable and proper. Hincks in his budget speech in 1s49 said Hal a protective Tariff against great Bri Tain would be equivalent to a declaration of Independence. Ten years later another finance minister a. T. Gait brought in a Tariff with protective features. There was a pro test by the cutlers of Sheffield to the colonial Secretary at his Sugges Tion and this protest the Duke of Newcastle transmitted to the Cana Dian government Wilh some observations of his own. The cutlers thought it was indecent and a re proach that after 15 years of free Trade in great Britain the govern ment of one other majesty s most important colonies should have been advocating monopoly and protect while the Duke expressed his regret thai in View of England s experience with prot Calion such an act As the present should have been the Cartier Macdonald government met the Issue without flinching. They sent a formidable reply drafted by gait in which the right of Canada to make her own tariffs was vigorously asserted. The government of said the despatch cannot in Zotigh those feelings of deference which they owe to the Imperial author lies in any measure waive or diminish the right of the people of Canada to de cide for themselves Bolh As to the Mode and extent to which taxation shall be the consequences of submission were vigorously set Forth self government would be utterly annihilated if the views of the Imperial government were to be preferred to those of the people of can Ada. It is therefore the duty of the present government Dustin ally to affirm the right of the Canadian legislature to adjust the taxation of the people in the Way they deem Best even if it should unfortunately Hap pen to meet the disapproval of the Imperial ministry. Her majesty cannot be advised to disallow such acts unless her advisers Are prepared to assume the administration of the affairs of the Colony irrespective of the views of its Here we have the flashing of the weapon put into the hands of the Canadian ministry by responsible government. The Only alternative to government by the Canadian Parlia ment was a resumption of govern ment from Downing Street by a gov Powers were sharply censured with no effect i beyond hardening Canadian opinion against the scheme. The new Cana Dian government headed by John Sandfield Macdonald made a reason of Canadian policy in a memorandum and proceeded to enact a less pretentious measure which was accepted by Canadian opinion As satisfactory. When sir John Macdonald Relur nud to Power later he left John Sandfield s militia Bill alone. This is another Milestone oni the Road of Canada s constitutional development. The beginnings of an attempt to develop a foreign policy can be easily observed in pre confederation can Ada. Foreign policy for each coun by is that policy towards external affairs which alms to serve and and the country s interests. Can Ida s external interests had to do Holly with securing of markets for Canada s expanding productions. Canada showed a decided inclination to attend to these Malters herself and met with Lille discouragement from the British govern ment. It is True that two attempts o develop reciprocity arrangements Vith the West indies met with Bri Tish Disfavour and the British government was also somewhat disturbed Over Gall s persistent and Ingeni Ous efforts to carry on Trade negotiations with France through an in Ler pulsing Consul slate one at Mont real. But with respect to the United sales which nine per cent. In. The business in , and Tho condition of the country. One incident which is of much interest on its own account will indicate the nature of the work. There were two problems in connection with the construction of the railway As Jias been the Caso in All similar undertakings and it is still difficult to determine which of the two greatest. One was the actual building of the Road across Canada during which difficulties of a most trying character were encountered and the second was the financing of the project in connection with which the guilders were at times nearer to failure than would now be believed. When this difficulty of financing was at its worst George Stephen sent a cablegram to sir Donald a. Smith which has since been often referred to by officials of the company. It was in a single gaelic word Craigellachie stand at a. Later time in. No vember 1sss, when the last Spike was to be driven at the Point where the rails met in the Eagle pass Sec Tion of the Road this same word was selected As the name of the Way Sta Tion on the line and so continues to this Day stand fast Craig a Good enough Motlo at least for the scotch canadians. In Canada the entire Book May serve As something of a tonic to the Canadian people of the present Day. For the guidance of a use Ful precedent. I. There was resentment though in builders of peace. By h. M. Swanwick. A ten years history of the Union of democratic control. Foreword by e. D. Morel recently dead. With Twenty eight portraits of the leading spirits in the Union. This Short outline of the Union of democratic control will give the Gen eral Reader some idea of the activities going on in the Liberal and intellectual and aristocratic circles from which the labor party in Britain is drawing some of its mod important recruits. Canada Over the indifference the British Public this period of Salu tary neglect had in Foci a tonic and bracing effect. It made pos sible the rapid Extension of self governing Powers and it obliged the. Canadian government to Deal direct with the country s problems. There were Canadian questions to face and pressing problems to and the acadian. Public men attacked them with a. Full sense of Power and responsibility. Durham in his recommendations denied Canadian parliament any control Over the Constitution of the form of government the Regula Tion of foreign relations und of Trade with the Slother country the other British colonies and foreign nations and the disposal of Public but the Canadian parliament operating under the direction of minis ters responsible to Tho no regard to these limit Dillons. The scope of Canadian self govern Riel was widened and strengthened by its own momentum. The British government made no difficulty about transferring the Public lands out right to Canada. The anomaly of partial control of the Canadian Post office and the Canadian customs service by the British government ceased. Significant was the gradual decay of the custom prescribed by the Royal instructions that the gov Cmor should preside at the meetings of the executive Council. Elgin was assiduous in the performance of this duty but the attendance of his Suc Cessor sir Edmund head became at first fitful and then it ceased Al together. Sir John is Mcdonald is credited with having Given sired Mund a Broad hint that Lii is presence was not required. By 155s. Sired Mund was writing the colonial Secre tary that his presence at the. Council inexpedient As v error which with autocratic was no alternative at All wa.5 impossible. There was a sent men in England in favor of disallowance sir Charles Adderley in his work on the colonial policy of lord John written in the sixties re this action had not been taken while Earl Grey writing As late As 1879, bemoaned the failure of the British government to enforce a common free Trade policy upon All part of the Empire. The general said Earl Grey Lias suffered from the course taken by. The colonies in throwing aside the free Trade policy of the but the British government accepted the situation created by Canada s action without further protest. Newcastle when seen later in the year by gait admitted that he had taken the wrong Lack. Gait wrote to Mac Donald he at once owned up ana1 said he bad been in the wrong with a Good Deal More to the same effect this one of Durham s major reservations was removed for All time and the fiscal Freedom the. Colonies established. Within Twenty five years most of the British colonies had protective tariffs. Also significant of the determination of canadians to keep control of their own affairs was the militia Bill episode. Admittedly canadians show act a Fine spirit in 1s61, when the Trent affair threatened trouble Between great Britain and the United states but when an attempt was made to follow this up by submitting to parliament a defence measure which went beyond the needs of the province As canadians saw them the Bill was thrown out and with it the Cartier Macdonald government which assumed responsibility for it. The plan which provided for an Active militia Force of with a provision for supplying men for the ranks by ballot was regarded As chiefly a War office proposition and the outcry in England following its rejection supported this the. Canadian parliament and people represented ninety of the world with which Canadian foreign policy was concerned there was a readiness on the part of Downing Street to agree to Canadian statesmen trying their Prentice hand at negotiating with United states bar gainers. The refusal of , when minister at Washington in the Early sixties to co operate with Canadian representatives appears to have been a purely personal Manife Lalion of Side and bad manners. In the earlier negotiations which finally bore fruit in the reciprocity treaty of 1s54, a Canadian representative w. H. Merritt and Laler fran Cis Hincks worked in Complete Harmony with the British minister Crampton. A. T. Gait who for the eight years preceding confederation with one interregnum had charge of Canada s Trade and financial interests kept in close touch with Washington. Following Seward s threatening announcement in 1s61 about the necessity of putting the Northern United states posts in a state of defence he visited washing ton and had reassuring interviews with Seward and Lincoln. Though the invitation to Canada in 1s63 to Send a quasi political agent to Washington was not acted upon owing chiefly to Lyons attitude the negotiations in 1s66 for the purpose o securing a. Renewal of the reciprocity treaty were carried on a representatives of Canada new Brunswick and Nova Scotia under due authorization from the government the British minister Bruce co operated with them by the direction of negotiations was in reality in gait s hands. The governing capacity of the peo ple thus in constant exercise grew apace and with it perhaps unconsciously yet none the less surely there grew up among the Canadian people a sense of nationality a feel ing that Here was a country will great problems and opportunities Ose in confederation is beginning to understood. The four chief Fashio ners of con were Macdonald gait shown and Mcgee. Gait May have Een at this time disposed to. Favor he Independence of Canada As he certainly was a Little but Tho free others desired to maintain and strengthen the connection Between he North american colonies and great Britain. There was danger Loose mood that these Vith the English Public in a he Bond and go monies might break away and enter american Union. Not Many of he Sug Gesters of separation wanted be wort Ayot being sought great nations of the Earth y the colonies Are now ;